Why you should watch record-breaking new Netflix horror movie Heart Eyes
Horror fans, unite!Netflixjust added Heart Eyes to its library, a2025 horror moviethat has everyone talking and even became one of three slashers to achieve a significant box office milestone.
It’s a great time to be ahorrorfan. In 2025 alone, we’ve already had hit titles likeThe Monkey,Drop, andSinners, not to mention the recently releasedUntil Dawnbig screen adaptation.
And that’s before considering what’s coming up next: the directors behind Talk To Me are gearing up for their follow-up movie,Bring Her Back; 28 Days Later’s anticipated sequel trilogy kicks off with28 Years Later; and franchises make their return withM3GAN 2.0,Saw XI, andFNAF 2.
With so much going on, you may have missed out on Josh Ruben’s Heart Eyes, which landed in cinemas in February. But don’t fret, as thenew moviehas made its way to Netflix.
Heart Eyes achieved rare box office milestone
When Heart Eyes hit theaters in February, it didn’t just win over horror lovers – it defied box office norms. The film made more money in its second weekend than it did in its opening, raking in $10 million after an initial $8.3 million debut.
That might not sound earth-shattering, but it’s incredibly rare for a slasher to gain momentum like that – a lot of movies drop by 40–50% in week two.
In fact, Heart Eyes became only the third slasher to pull off this kind of comeback, joining the likes ofTerrifier 2and the originalScream. That kind of word-of-mouth power is record-breaking in the horror world, and proof that this twisted love story has serious staying power.
What’s it about?
Heart Eyes is a twisted horror-romance about a serial killer who targets couples – and his mask has (you guessed it) heart eyes.
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Directed by Scare Me’s Josh Ruben, the film is co-written and co-produced byChristopher Landon, the genre veteran behind Happy Death Day and Drop. With its mix of horror, heart, and humor, it’s safe to say his influence shows in the best way possible.
The plot follows Ally McCabe, a pitch designer for a jewelry company, and her new colleague Jay Simmons. When the pair go out for dinner, they’re mistaken as a couple by the Heart Eyes killer.
As per the official synopsis, “For the past several years, the ‘Heart Eyes Killer’ has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe…”
Yes, it’s not Valentine’s Day anymore, but it’s a fun slasher that’s well worth your time – especially if you’re going through a heartbreak.
Heart Eyes cast
Ally is played by Olivia Holt, best known for her roles inTotally Killerand Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger, while Scream alum Mason Gooding takes on the role of Jay. Check out the rest of the cast below:
The two lead stars sung each other’s praises while discussing working together on the new movie.
In an interview withCollider, Gooding said to Holt, “Obviously, you’re a spectacular actor, and I hope I don’t need to go into how incredible your performance is from a dialogue and delivery standpoint…
“What I think was unbelievably impressive to watch was a day in which I had off because we were filming a stunt sequence in a park. You know where this is going.
“I came with my camera, and I just wanted to be around set, and I bore witness to Olivia engaging in a stunt sequence that was not only locomotive and moving but also involved heavy choreography that I assume you guys had worked out.
“Then there was a bit where it carries on into a sequence still in the same stunt sequence, and watching, I was like, ‘That’s someone who has such control and understanding of her own physicality that I absolutely want to be better at my job… I want to work at that level.’”
Holt then said to Gooding, “Kind of a very similar experience, you, with all of our stunt actors, just sort of took control, and you guys were working things out. I hadn’t seen it yet, and I hadn’t been a part of it, and you’d been working on it while I was shooting other stuff.
“I remember going in and being like, ‘Oh, okay. He’s good. It’s handled.’ No matter what, if something goes wrong on the day, you’ve got it under control. And things went wrong, and you got it under control.”
Rotten Tomatoes score
Heart Eyes fared well with critics and audiences alike, earning a respective 81% (with critics) and 77% (with audiences) on Rotten Tomatoes.
Empiregave it four stars, writing, “Heart Eyes is like a Hinge date from hell. Smart, funny, intense; swipe right.” TheGuardianadded, “There’s enough of a spark between them for the film to work as an adorable odd-couple romance, in between all the impaling, decapitation and eye-socket trauma.”
Of the less favorable reviews, theRadio Timessaid, “Climaxing with a so-what killer reveal, Heart Eyes needed a surer aim to secure a spot in Scream fans’ satirical affections.”
If you want to form your own opinion or give it a rewatch, Heart Eyes isstreamingon Netflix US now. You can also check out the othernew movies streaming this month, ourranking of the best horror moviesever made, and thescariest horrors based on true stories.
